Systems and methods herein generally relate to printing and cutting systems, and more particularly to identifying sheet locations of items, after such items are separated from the sheets (e.g., after the sheet is cut into the individual items).
When creating uniquely sized printed items, such as signs, cards, tickets, badges, negotiable instruments, etc., it is efficient to print sheets of such items, and then divide (e.g., cut) the sheets into individual items (e.g., individual signs). For example, an X-Y cutter that first cuts slits in one direction, and then cuts slits in a perpendicular direction, can be used to cut fully backed adhesive media into individual rectangular adhesive items. Other types of cutters include laser cutters, punch cutters, etc. After cutting, the individual items are collated into bins and stacked (e.g., after several sheets have been processed).
However, as the cutting and stacking system is used and wears, adhesive can build up on the stacking and cutting components, or the variation of printing media within a run (or between runs) can wear alignment features, dull blades, etc., and cause errors in the cutting and stacking operations. Also, with slit-type cutters, the slits can be dynamic depending on constantly changing item size, which adds another factor to cutting issues.